K1S1: Knit One Share One

What does K1S1 mean?

K1S1 is short for "Knit One share One" as the yarn represents Jacqui’s wish to share her extreme knitting world with other knitters and crafters alike.

K1S1 is a highly innovative textile and second to none in the market. It is a unique premium felted woollen yarn specifically designed for high end interior applications. The yarn possess a clever and innovative combination of extreme scale with a high degree of functionality and resilience whilst mainting a soft and luxuriuos handle. Importantly, unlike other large scale yarns, K1S1 has a low pilling quotient and will not tear or pull with use. Care and maintenance of the yarn is straight forward. The quality of they yarn on this scale is unparralled.

The yarn has been designed by Jacqui and developed to her specifications primarily to overcome the issues associated with knitting with unspun woollen tops left in their raw form without compromising on scale or softness.

Jacqui has been knitting with unspun woollen tops in various guises for over six years and everything she has learnt in the process has been incorporated into K1S1 to ensure the yarn stands up to the rigours of extreme knitting whilst remaining easy to work with, lovely to touch, supple in its handle and striking in its scale and aesthetic.

What is K1S1 made from?

K1S1 is an extreme knitting yarn and is made from 23 micron commercially felted merino woollen tops from New Zealand. The woollen tops are felted in a Mill setting to create a consistent yarn approximately 20mm in diameter.

Merino wool is the king of fibres and is sustainable, biodegradable and renewable.

Merino wool is softer and more flexible than other types of wool making it perfectly suited for textile use.

Merino has the following special properties:

Soft to the touch;

Resilient;

Highly breathable;

Absorbent;

Ordour and stain resistant;

Multi climatic;

Non-itchy; and has

Excellent thermal properties.

What are the special qualities of K1S1?

K1S1 is a very special technical yarn specially designed for interior and textile use. It has the following features:

extreme scale;

low pilling quotient;

soft handle;

robustness in its performance;

easy care;

high functionality;

high quality.

Pieces made with K1S1 are dramatic in their scale, luxurious in their appearance and create a dynamic and striking textural addition to a space.

The inherent elasticity of merino merino wool ensures that the finished piece has a beautiful draping quality to it.

Why is the yarn felted and why is that important?

K1S1 is made from felted woollen tops.

Woollen tops (otherwise known as unspun wool) do not constitute a proper knitting yarn.

Anything knitted with woollen tops, left in its raw form, will essentially have little functionality. The fibres will shed and pill excessively with even the gentlest of uses and will also be prone to pulls, breakage and damage. Pets will easily tear the fibres apart. So too will playful children, without even meaning to. It is that fragile. Woollen tops are also impossible to wash without changing the inherent structure of the fibre and its aesthetic.

Essentially, whilst the textiles may look irresistible, anything made from unspun woollen tops left in their raw form will not last over the longer term and nor will they stand up to the rigours of family life. Whilst they may look irresistible, this really is a case of buyer beware.

However, once the tops are felted, the game changes. The felting gives the tops functionality and a robustness that the fibres otherwise do not have. Felting interlocks the woollen fibres together making them constrict, giving the wool definition, stability and structure.

K1S1 can be worked and reworked a number of times without any impact to the integrity of the yarn. The pilling quotient is low but it is important to remember that all natural fibres will pill with friction.

What sizes does the yarn come in?

K1S1 comes in two sizes:

5kg bump

A 5 kg bump allows you to knit an entire throw without any joins. It contains over 200 metres of yarn

1.5kg bump

A 1.5 kg bump contains over 55 metres of yarn and is perfect for smaller projects such as scarves, beanies, bed runners and lap rugs etc

Are there patterns available?

You bet. There is a Patterns Libray that all customers of K1S1 are given free access to on purchase.